Bailamos
by Mistress of the Arts
Summary: Tonight, he wanted to live this night forever. Tonight, they would dance. Tonight would be the night that he finally confessed everything. Raul Fernandez is falling and falling fast. Can Mathilda Alster be the dance partner he's been searching for? -Oneshot. Raul x Mathilda. Slight Julia x Miguel.-


_Disclaimer: Beyblade and characters belong to Aoki Takao; I merely own my socks. *checks them* Or not. These are my sister's. =w='_

_**Bailamos**_

Mathilda Alster loved to dance.

It was something that she enjoyed, just moving her hips to the beat. She was a very spunky person, having the grace and the energy to dance for a long time without tiring. She liked the way it felt, the exhilarating pounding of her heart in her chest, the way her hair would flutter around her face as her hips shifted as the rhythm took her over.

She loved all kinds of music as well - she liked ballroom dancing. Claude had agreed to sign up and take the classes with her. She liked playing those _Dance Dance Revolution_ games with Mariah and Julia. It had been the latter of her two friends that had introduced her to her new love.

Spanish music seemed to be her calling.

It was a mid-summer night when F-Dynasty invited Battalion over, Mathilda was excited. It had been awhile since she had seen the twins. Sadly Claude and Aaron didn't want to go - something about a video game tournament they had going on with Kevin, Ian, and Joseph - but Miguel was all for it. They dressed casually, with the Spaniard wearing a simple white button down and blue jeans - his boy-band good looks making him look handsome in most anything.

Mathilda had chosen something much different from her blading attire. She had exchanged her goggles with a sparkly black headband, wearing a black dress that pleated to just a few inches above her knees, a dark pink sash around the waist, and the top part was sleeveless with the material being sheer above the bodice, which was heart-shaped and gave her small bust a slight lift. Sparkly black flats adorned her dainty feet.

The dress was casual, but made the pinkette a lot more stunning than she already was. It was hard for her team captain to keep his eyes off her - obviously seeing her in a new light. The two set off down the hall, heading down to the hotel suite that F-Dynasty was occupying.

The first thing that Mathilda noticed was the Spanish music drifting through the air as Miguel racked his knuckles against the door. It was answered by Julia, whose long brown hair was actually plaited over one shoulder, wearing a stunning red number that stopped in mid-thigh with lips devil red and even heels - not that she needed them. Gold bangles clinked together as she brushed a stray orange strand behind her ear, giving Miguel a flirty smile that he returned.

"Glad you could make it. Raul and I were just setting out the snacks." Julia said as she turned to head inside, "You look adorable, Mattie. Is that the dress Mariah helped you pick out?"

"Yeah, it is." Mathilda gave a slight flush, but she smiled at the compliment. "You look beautiful, Julez."

Julia gave a little twirl, the dress not hiding the curves of her athletic frame. Blue eyes could hardly stray away from the Spanish beauty as she headed over toward the nook of the kitchenette, swiping the tortilla chip which held a homemade salsa on it right out of her twin's hand. Raul made a face at her, before shrugging it off and simply grabbing another chip. He popped it into his mouth quickly, seeing the slight pout on Julia's face and giving a small smirk of victory.

Emerald eyes glanced over at their guests, with Raul slowly blinking, as if coming out of a daydream moments later. He stepped out from behind the nook to greet them, giving Miguel a polite bro-hug and then turning to the pinkette swaying slightly from side-to-side to the rhythm of the music, the hem of her dress swishing around her thighs. Like his twin, Raul had actually dressed up a bit for the occasion, clad in a pair of nice black jeans with a light blue button down, rolled up to his elbows, and a black vest.

It had been Julia's idea to invite them over. She knew that Claude and Aaron would decline, but she also knew that Miguel and Mathilda would come. She did it for his sake.

She knew of his feelings for Mathilda Alster - she herself confessing that she had thing for Miguel. After confirming that the two had nothing romantic going on between them, the acrobat had made her move. Now all she needed to do was give the two of them the push in the right direction.

"Hey Mattie,"

She smiled at him, "Hi, Raul. How are you tonight?"

He smiled back - a slightly nervous smile. His stomach felt as if there were butterflies fluttering within it and his knees were shaking a bit. He discreetly wiped his clammy palms against the back of his jeans, idly swaying in time to the beat as the two began to talk. He could hear Miguel and Julia chatting on the couch, the two sitting close and the flirtations between them were not subtle in the slightest.

_How I wish I could be bold like Julia._

He wasn't bold - he was scared.

Scared because from the few conversations he had with Mathilda, he found himself falling for her rapidly. Like cascading from the tightrope, feeling the world flying by him and the split-second fear that he would not be caught. He wanted to have the confidence to sweep her off her feet, but it was impossible to conjure it.

His eyes took her in, watching as her lightly layered short hair kept fluttering around her pretty face, idly brushing the collar of her dress. She was laughing a bit, finding the story he was telling her of his first attempt at helping the lion tamer gone wrong. He found he liked her laughter - it melodic and sweet.

"Hey, Raul, stop being such a wet blanket and ask Mattie to dance already."

Jolting, Raul sent a glare at Julia, who simply stuck her tongue out playfully before turning her attention back on Miguel. He was holding her hand, the other on her waist as they danced to the music. Blushing, Mathilda looked at Raul, who was blushing just as red as the bangs he was currently twirling around his finger nervously.

"I wouldn't mind," Mathilda smiled gently. "I like to dance."

"_Bailamos_," Raul agreed, whispering in Spanish.

So, they danced. It was slow at first, but somehow, both found themselves easing into a comfortable pace. Raul's hold on her hand wasn't as timid as before, gripping in a way that screamed he didn't want to let go. His hand moved from the middle of her back to her waist, growing confident as one dance, two dances went by.

Soon, they lost count. Mathilda was smiling now, occasionally looking down at their feet, moving gracefully across the floor before camellia-colored irises locked on his own gaze. Raul was shyly smiling, but he looked as if he was having fun.

The room had been occupied only by them, Julia and Miguel having disappeared behind the closed bedroom door about twenty minutes prior.

Relaxing, just allowing themselves to give into the rhythm. Tonight, he was hers. They could make it happen.

"Mattie…?"

"Yes, Raul?"

"There's something I think you should know."

She felt her heart quicken in her chest, glancing once around the room as Raul twirled her, catching her in his arms that were surprisingly quite strong as he dipped her. He stared into her eyes for a long moment, waiting for her to speak, breathing a little heavily at the closeness. Her sweet scent that reminded him of cotton candy was strong.

"What is it, Raul…?"

"I…I don't want tonight to end. I won't be leaving your side…I want to dance through the night. I want to reach for the stars and give them all to you… do you…do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

She blushed and nodded, feeling the world shift once more as Raul pulled them up and twirled her once again. This time, he caught her with her back against his chest, their arms crossed over her waist. The pinkette slowly turned her face, cheek lightly brushing his chest as she glanced up at him from under her lashes.

That single look gave him the confidence he needed.

"Dance with me always."

She closed her eyes and blushed, looking away and feeling her heart hammering in her chest. He couldn't be serious - there wasn't any way that Raul Fernandez was confessing to her. Yet, as she felt his strong arms around her tiny frame, she knew different.

The strangest part was she wanted to say yes.

She wanted him to be her dance partner. She wanted to see him smile more.

"Were you the one who…sent two dozen roses to my room the other day?"

He nodded, "I'm falling for you, Mathilda. Fast. I don't know what to do… why I'm even saying all this. I guess if I don't say it now, I'll never say it. I'll never even know what it's like… being with you."

"R-Raul…"

He slowly brushed his fingers against her cheek, then her chin before leaning down. He tilted her face, the pinkette giving a slight squeak of surprise as the distance between them was eliminated.

Lips as soft as a rose brushed against hers in what could only be her first kiss.

And in that kiss, she came to terms with something she had been blind to herself.

It wasn't just the music she loved.

It wasn't just the dancing.

It was her partner.

"Take a chance with me, Raul." she murmured softly.

He took her hand and smiled, "Tonight I'm yours."

She shook her head as she looked back up into eyes as beautiful as emeralds.

"No, Raul. _Bailamos. _Forever."

He blushed and nodded slowly, the two of them stepping into a new kind of dance.

A dance called romance.

_**Fin**_

_A/N: My first ever Raul x Mathilda oneshot! :3 I honestly have no idea why I never tried pairing these two together before. They're just… adorable! Completely and utterly adorable! I hope to write more of these two in future. Review please~!_

_Musical Inspiration: Bailamos - Enrique Iglesias_

_~Mistress of the Arts_


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